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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27949607">Growing Pains</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/This_is_not_my_Penname/pseuds/This_is_not_my_Penname'>This_is_not_my_Penname</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Critical Role (Web Series)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen, Growing Pains, Horns, Not every tiefling is born with beautiful horns, Tieflings, sometimes growth hurts</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 10:15:09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>849</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27949607</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/This_is_not_my_Penname/pseuds/This_is_not_my_Penname</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Marion Lavorre was not a perfect mother, not by a long shot. But she did the best with what she had. And what she had was love for her daughter. Every sleepless night, every painful hour, would be worth it, to watch her darling Genevieve grow up through the pain.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Jester Lavorre &amp; Marion Lavorre | Ruby of the Sea</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>37</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Growing Pains</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>In many ways, Marion Lavorre was not prepared to be a mother, let alone a single mother. There was so much she hadn’t been told about, and her profession did not look kindly on children. But Genevieve was her pride and joy, her little Sapphire. She did her best with what she had.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was a balmy summer’s evening in Nicodranas, the kind where the heat hung like gossamer bed curtains in the air. Marion was preparing to put Genevieve to bed before heading downstairs to perform in the lounge. Her little Sapphire was bouncing up and down in the cute pink nightdress, her tail swishing back and forth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mama! Mama guess what!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What is it, my darling?” Marion bent down, holding her arms out for her daughter. Genevieve was grinning a big toothy grin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“M’ horns, Mama! Gots horns now! They’re growin!” Grinning, she brushed a few locks of blue hair aside, showing off the black nubs just beginning to jut through the skin. Marion smiled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So you do, my little Sapphire. So you do. You’re going to have such a very lovely pair of horns.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Genevieve giggled, squirming happily in her mother’s embrace. Marion smiled. Perhaps she was not as bad at this mothering thing as she thought.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>***</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nicodranas never slept, a fact Marion was acutely aware of. Now it seemed that she would be joining the city. There was no light through the window, and precious little light in the room. She held cool cloths to Genevieve’s head, hoping to ease some of the pain. Horns tended to grow in slowly, and usually it wasn’t too bad. But it hurt at the beginning. Marion had the vaguest memories of her own horns growing in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hush my little Sapphire… I know it hurts, but there’s no need to cry. Mama is here,” Marion murmured, hoping to soothe her daughter’s aches and pains. In her arms, her daughter let out another heart-wrenching sob.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hurts Mama! Hurts!” she cried, and Marion held her even tighter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was the fourth night this week that Jester had woken up crying. Marion had stopped seeing clients, even though they needed the money. Her daughter came first, and that was what was so important.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My little Sapphire, wait here. I’m going to get something, to try and help. Can you sit still for a few minutes?” Marion held her breath, hoping that she could leave Genevieve alone for just a few moments. After what seemed like hours, her daughter nodded. Marion set her down on the bed, and hurried off to her bathroom. Sitting on the shelf was a little jar of salve, exactly what she needed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She scooped Genevieve up again, wiping away the new tears. “Alright, alright. No more tears, my little one. I’ve brought something that will help.” She set the jar on the small table by Genevieve’s bed, slowly uncapping it. She dipped her fingers in, rubbing it on the edges of the horns. The soothing scent of vanilla filled the room. “My sweet little Sapphire… see? It doesn’t hurt that badly… This pain will pass.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Genevieve let out a few more sniffles before slowly drifting off. Marion sighed, capping the salve again before bringing her daughter into her room. It wouldn’t do to leave her little Sapphire alone, not when she was dealing with this.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>***</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bluud, you are… knowledgeable, yes? About things?” Marion was standing in the hallway, Genevieve propped on her hip. The minotaur shrugged.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It depends on many things, Ms. Lavorre. What do you need?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah, it is...  Genevieve. Her horns are growing in and she hasn’t been sleeping well. I’ve been using cool cloths and I have a lotion but it doesn’t seem to be helping any. I thought… perhaps you would… know what to do?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bluud snorted, a soft sound. Genevieve stretched her hands up, eyes still puffy from crying, and Bluud reached out to take her. “It sounds like you’ve been doing everything as well as you can already. Just be there for her. But if you need a break… I can watch her for a few hours.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marion let out a heavy sigh. “I would not wish to impose on you…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You look tired. Get some rest. I’m sure I can distract this little sweetheart for a few hours.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, Bluud.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He nodded, leaning his horns down for Genevieve to play with. Her chubby little hands wrapped around the end, and she giggled. “Big horns,” she murmured.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, very,” Bluud agreed. “Come on, you little rascal. Let’s go see what’s going on in the kitchen, see if we can get you one of those cinnamon pastries you love so much.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mairon watched them clomp down the stairs, before gratefully slipping off to her room for a few needed hours of sleep.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>***</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marion Lavorre was not a perfect mother, not by a long shot. But she did the best with what she had. And what she had was love for her daughter. Every sleepless night, every painful hour, would be worth it, to watch her darling Genevieve grow up through the pain.</span>
</p>
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